Who is Adriana Smith? Georgia's brain dead woman gives birth amid abortion law controversy, ‘He's just fighting'
Adriana Smith, a woman from Georgia who was compelled to bear a child, gave birth after months of being brain dead. She is now anticipated to be taken off life support.
According to her family, the baby was delivered on Friday. Smith's mother, April Newkirk, informed Atlanta's NBC station WXIA that the baby, Chance, was delivered via emergency cesarean section due to preterm birth. According to her, the infant is in the neonatal intensive care unit and weighs around one pound, thirteen ounces.
'He's expected to be OK,' she informed the broadcaster. 'He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him.' Smith is also a mother to an elder son.
In a previous interview, she told WXIA that the LIFE Act, the state's nearly complete restriction on abortion, forced the family to keep Smith alive. The Smith's family, who celebrated her 31st birthday on Sunday, stated that she was sent to the hospital in February after first seeking treatment for excruciating headaches.
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In 2019, Governor Brian Kemp signed the 'Heartbeat Bill,' also known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, after it was passed by state lawmakers primarily along party lines. It generally outlawed abortions after six weeks.
After the US Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in July 2022, it formally entered into force. In response to a reaction from pro-abortion activists, similar laws were enacted in other states around the country.
According to Newkirk, Smith was first admitted to Northside Hospital but was later discharged after receiving treatment. However, the hospital performed no tests or scans.
Smith's boyfriend saw her gasping for air and making gargling noises when he woke up the day after she sought treatment, Newkirk told WXIA. A CT scan revealed many blood clots in Smith's brain after she was taken to Emory Decatur Hospital and then moved to Emory University Hospital, according to the station.
Newkirk informed that her daughter was put on a ventilator after being deemed brain dead. Smith will be removed from life support on Tuesday, she said.
'It's kind of hard, you know,' she said to the station. 'It's hard to process.'
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